Improvement in machine for making match-splints



'UNITED STATES PATENT @einenl` nnonYANnn uws Ano WrtLiAMfr-UoKnn, oF sirnrnerinnnyiunss.

IMPROVEMENT iN MAcHlNE i-'ton-fivlAi |jneMATo-H-sPLi'NTal kSpecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,465, datedDecembel 20. 1864.

skilled in the art to make and use, the saine, .reference beingr had to the accompanying drawings, forming-part of this. specication, in Whicli l c Figure l represents a longitudinal 4vertical section ofthis. invention, the plane of section being indicated bythe' line m Fig. 2. Fig: 2 is a -plan .or top'view ot' the saine, partly 'in section?v l r f Similar letters .offrei'ercnc'eindicatelike parts. j f This invent-ion consists in the employment or use of one orinore hoppers tilled with cards,

in -combination with a suitable feed apparatus y and set ,of knives, in'such a .manner that' one card afteritheother isytaken from the hopper- 'i automatically and exposed to the'action of the knives, tobe cnt up in single sticks of the'` requisitethickness 5- also7 in taking theoards frein the bottom ot'- the hopper or hoppers, so thatthe saine by their Jinherent v'gravity are broughtin the requisite position to'be fed to the knives, until the hoppers are exhausted 5 further-,in arranging the knives vin sections, separated from each other by suitable intervals, so'tliat each card is cut up separate, and the match-stick so cut can beeasily kept in separatfetiers and the feeding to the rack is I facilitated also, in the use of guides in front et the knives and placed opposite the intervals between theseveral sections to keep the match-'sticks in separate' distinct tiers, fur'- ther, in the employment or use ot a rack, to which an intermittent motion is imparted, in combination with the guides," the knives, and the feed apparatus, in suche manner that one tiex` of matches' after the other is automaticall y pushed between the slats of the rack,

. as theV saine arrives successively in a position opposite the table; also, in the application to the slatsI of two r more'elastic bands or springs placed round said slats at suitable intervals in such a manner that they hold the same together with a yielding pressure, and the irani'es are enabled to hold the inatchsticks kand. to 'accommodate themselves to V sticksV ot' v'different sizeand thickness; fi nallyfin subjectingthe inatchsticks, after theyhavebeenripassed between the slatsY of the rack, to the action of the-'combs or other suitable devices, in such a manner that the same are au'toinaticz'illy slipped,7 or, in ofher words, that the alternatesticks 'are pushed outin opposite directions to keep their ends separate whiledipping.`

"A reiiiresentsatfraine, made of iron or any other suitable 1n'tterial, and provided with a platforml or table; B,'to support thel work- '.ing niechauisin'of our machine; The wood from which the matches are to be made is first vvcnt 11p-into cards of suitable size and messi-cards@ are :placed: @into -thej-hoppers O,-

which 'arese'cured on the table`B. One or v,incre suclihoppers maybe arrangetkjk side 1 loysideandjthefcardsjare pushed ontf froina the hoppersby' the action off-the feed-plate. D, to Whicha reciprocating motion is imparted bythe' actionfof eccentric wrist-pins' on `'the ends -ot' the .-aizlfe of` the feed-roller, orkn ,fany

other convenient mamie-r. The i'eed-plate y isdividfed by slots tinto a nuinberjof-'sectiohs to correspond; to the iiuniberlot" inquiets,- and A' it aets'npon the lowest 'card in achliopper, i

the'sides o f the hopperbein'gcut oii'ratfsuch a distance above thetabl'e that the vfeed-plate is enabled to pushout one card after theother.'` Uponbein'g pushed ont ofthe Vhoppers the 'cards are caught between the 'linite-cylin ler E and feed-roller Rand by the action of the revolving knives b each card is cut np in match-sticks of the requisite thickness.' The knives are arrangedV on the cylinder Ein sections, which are separated one from the other by intervals e', each section to correspond to one ot' the hoppers, as clearly shown in Fig.

2 of the drawings.

0n leaving` the knitccylinder the matchei pass4 ont on the table B, each tier being .pushed along by the succeeding tiers, and the several tiers of matches which pass along the table' simultaneously are kept separate -by guideswhich extend from the knife-cylinder to the extreme edge of the table, and serve, to conduct the cut matches totherack G. By referring,` to 'Figm it'wil'hloe noticed that tie guides fare in line with the intervals between the knives on the cylinder, and with theparttions between the several hoppers,-so that l each card on its coursei'roin the hopper tothef end oi' the table follows a straight line; The

vrack G, which receivcs the inatchesas the same'leave the table B, is providedwit h a," Series of slats., g, to hold the matches in' position for. dipping, and it is so constructed bysuitable driving mechanism with' the drivlng.- shaft that an intermittent rectlhnear motion is imparted to it, and that for each stroke of the feedplate a new slat is brought oppositethe table.

be effected by various different mechanisms,

It is obvious that' this inotion can and we do ynot wish-to confine ourselves to the peculiar mechanism' represeitedin the drawings, though we may by preference use this or substantially the same mechanlsin;

It consists of two toothed racks, h, attached to the edges ofthe rack G, and made to gear j in'two'cogwheels, t', which' are mounted on a shaft, j, which has its bearings iii theextre'nie v' f endsox the table,-as clearly shown in thedrawings. The ends ot' this shaft extend beyond the edges ot the table, and they'bear ratchet' wh eels k. The teeth ot'these ratch et-.Wheels are so adjusted that each tooth corresponds to' the distance between the slats` g in the rack, and for each stroke of the feed-plate they (the ratchet-wheels) are-limited: one. tooth byv the action of 4the pawls l, which"are secured to i arms m, rising from the rods n. These rods-j' slidc'iulsuita'ble boxes on the sides ofthefranie A, and a reciprocating motion is imparted tothern by the action oteccentric -Wrist-pins o, which project from disks 10, mounted on the ends otthe axle of thefeed-roller, and extends. into slots p in said rods.

lhese rods also connect with the feed-plate', so that when'the v. motion ot' the rack takes place the feed-plate recedes.

y The slats which receive the matches as the' saine are'push ed oit' frornthe table B are coinposedof 'two distinct parts, the lower one of' :whichisrnily secured to the Side la-lS Ot the rack, whereas the upper one iS 190s@ and 0:011-4 ;.2g`ected te thelower by elasticband-sorsprings 4 'The two slats are kept Sllfielltly l'ar .r'par-tfto admit the vpoints of 'the match-sticks. .by-suitable ribs, Whichzare ill 1111@ With the .guides f on the table, andthe Springs t] are arangcd at Such` intervals, 011@ IOm the other, that they do not 'interfere With th -ma'tch-sticks pushed out troni-the fable B'.

.'.In order tokeeplthe. points O f the Hllthf sticks Well separated in the slats fOl dipping,

it is desirable to slip77 themthat SLO push out' the alternatel sticks so that thfil/HS PTO- j ject beyond the ends ot the remlldl- ,TMS

operation is generally performed by hand et it :great loss'ot'time, but We have arranged G1112' 'machine so thatthe slipping is effected au- I toniatically "For this purpose We 'usetwe' t combs, rr', one of which is statiolary Mld SG1 ltui'ed. under lthe shaft j .outhe @iid O" the iframe A and the other is movable and 'ft- A 'K enedundcr the table B, Cllie teeth 0f 012@ ot' tite' combs are apposite' the spaces between are .divided in 'sections corresponding to tion bn the 'cylinder E, Whereas the number exceedsfhy one'that in each section of the is such thatA theyare opposite that slat which has just been tilled and lowered for one tooth of the ratchet-.wheels 7c, and the inovablecomb r is\connectcdto'the reciprocating rods mso that the saine is 'brought i'olivard simultaneously with the fecd-plate. The teeth'. of the endsof the match-sticks in the slat opposite thecoinbs, and the 'sticks 'are slipped in the most simple manner andv'ithout fail.' By this arrangement the match-sticks arecut,

sticks are .in the proper position t'or dipping.

' Let ters Pa tent;- The. CO'mbi'natiolr of the series of hop- Iand operating,substantially as described.

'rec'tilinear niotionis: imparted by. suitable mechanism 41n,coinbination, with the guidesf, knives*diced-plate- D, and hoppcrs '(5, coni'or thepurposeset forth.

3; The 'combination ot' the elastic bands with the stationary lower slatand the upper inovableslat in the vertically-moving rack, b v vWhichk the match-sticks are'received and held, at-the intervals between thefsections or tiers,

as they pass tfr'oin the table under the pressure ot' the succeed-ing set.

4. The arrangement, substantially as described, consisting o t' the stationary and ninvvable combs, and their operating mechanism, jbywhich the alternate match-'splints Within the embraceof the clamp g are slipped out so as' to detach their pointsfor dipping.

5..Arranging the match-splints inthe ft-los. lln'nrrnrnis.

the'teethof the oppositecoinb, and said combs vthose of theknives, and the number of teeth' Vin each .section of the movable comb is equal toone-'halfthe numberof knives in each 'sec offteeth in each section'of the stationarycombmovable comb. i The vplosititm of these combs com'b if', on being lbroughtforward,strike the pers,theis/cctional knife cylinder E, and the Y guidesfon the table B, arranged, constructed,

'.zflThe ifaCkGrifto which anl intermittent, .i

.Slructed and operating-vsubstantiallyas and Y clamps, in f the Ina-nner described, as etl'ected by the Vcombs r r', so that they may project v,

ted 4the racks, and slipped automatically, and, as the racks, pass out of the machine, the

- y l/Ve caimlas neW,' and disire 'to secure by. d 

